Copyright in the Classroom

The following information was obtained from the Australian Copyright Council (2007 & 2008). For more information on copyright laws in Australia, check out… http://www.copyright.org.au/

Can I copy material from the internet for research?
Yes. Provided that your use is fair, you can use material from the internet for the purposes of research or study (including your own private study).

What constitutes research and fair use?
Research is defined by the Macquarie dictionary as the “diligent and systematic enquiry or investigation into a subject in order to discover facts or principles...”

Fair use (Australian Copyright Council, 2007) includes copying:
• 10% of the number of pages, if you are reproducing text or printed music from a hard copy edition of 10 or more pages
• 10% of the number of words, for text material published in electronic form
• one chapter, if the work is divided into chapters

It is also considered fair to reproduce an article from a periodical publication (such as a newspaper, magazine or journal) or more than one article if each article is for the same research or course of study.

In most cases, you also need to acknowledge the author of material you copy and properly cite.

Can students (university or school) use music in videos that they make?
Yes, if the copyright has expired, or if the video is used for the purposes of research or study and provided that the use is fair. However, permission is required if the video is intended for public screening.

“An example of fair dealing for research or study may be using music in a film which is to be submitted for a school or university project, but which you do not intend to show outside the classroom or distribute further.” (Australian Copyright Council, 2008). This exception does not necessarily apply to the person making a home video or movie of a wedding or school concert.

References

Australian Copyright Council. (2007). Research or study. Retrieved March 12, 2010 from http://www.copyright.org.au/pdf/acc/infosheets_pdf/g053.pdf/download

Australian Copyright Council. (2008). Music: use in student films and home videos. Retrieved March 12, 2010 from http://www.copyright.org.au/g038.pdf